Vader's second chance

Chapter 41

There were few things Vader enjoyed. One of them was chain reactions. To take one small action and suddenly the entire status quo is on its head. A good example is Vader's recent visit to Mandalore. After his speech and Death Watch's dramatic departure, it caused a very desirable reaction. At least, it was desirable for Vader. Satine, not so much. Many political parties were formed and several petitions signed in an attempt to coerce the duchess into an alliance with the Sith Empire. Every attempt was quickly shot down before it could gain a foothold, further enraging the people. Until eventually they accepted Vader's offer of glory and honor among his ranks. Since then, Mandalore's population has been reduced by almost half. Spreading that many Mandalorians between the few planets under Vader's rule proved quite tedious. Not all of them wanted to be warriors, and were free to stay under Satine's thumb, but Vader guessed it was the freedom to make that call that mattered. Those that did want to be warriors, however, were very much welcome to it and Death Watch grew into an organization within the Empire that rivaled the Inquisitorius, many a Manadolorian acting as guards, soldiers, vanguards and spies.

Speaking of spies, the few members of Death Watch that stayed on Mandalore proved to be quite profitable. After all, what is a Mandalorian without their beskar armor? With Satine thoroughly distracted and blinded by her own ideals, it was too easy to drain Concordia of its beskar and snuggle it to the nearest Imperial planet. Was it underhanded? Yes. Did Vader care? No. Was it worth it? Without a doubt.

Interrupting the paperwork that would finalize the design for new, more advanced Mandalorian armor (isn't having tech from the future convenient?) was a transmission coming through Vader's holoprojector. Answering it, Vader's enthusiasm is severely diminished. "What is it? I'm busy."
Satine's mood was a far cry from Vader's. "Busy corrupting my people I assume?"
Vader sends through the forms to the appropriate division. "I've never heard someone pronounce "liberate" that way before, but I'm sure you can get that fixed."

Satine's annoyance is almost palpable. "You are enabling my people's primitive desires instead of protecting them."
Vader sighs, very much done. "Satine, protection at the cost of freedom is hardly a fair deal, and as I've said before, very unrealistic. The reality of the situation is that your people have made their opinions clear and you have refused to hear them, and so they have turned to me. Any "enabling" I do is purely on your own hands. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do than deal with you." Ending the transmission, Vader sighs. "The nerve of that woman. Thinking she can disturb me over such a matter. It's not my fault if she can't handle being a ruler."
"No it is not."

Vader is entranced by that familiar echo, a smile crossing his face. "My dear, what brings you by?"
"Merely sensing my lover's annoyance. What troubles you?"
Vader scoffs. "Merely Duchess Satine and her unreasonable demands."
Talzin merely chuckles. "Yes, ever since you mentioned Mandalore I have been keeping an eye on her. Her heart is in the right place, but her methods are-"
"Pure garbage?"
"-questionable. Forget about incompetent nobility my love. Focus on me." Sneaking behind the Grandmaster of the Sith, Talzin lets magick deep from heaven fingers as she massages her lover's shoulders, akin to the "soul massage" she had given him before.

Sensing the change in Talzin, Vader questions her. "Where is this coming from? Not that I'm complaining."
Talzin smirks as she continues. "We have been together for some time now, and yet we have yet to lay together. It makes one wonder, is the man I love attracted to me as I am to him?"

That gets Vader's eyes wide. He had never actually thought about such things. Between running the Empire and securing political and military advantages, he had been... busy. Though he always spared time for Talzin. It's just the thought of... that had never crossed his mind. Although, with the subject matter brought up, his mind couldn't dwell on the fact that it had been many, many years since he had lain with someone. "And... if I am, and we haven't?"
Talzin's hands drift slightly. "Then we should rectify that."